I wish to thank Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio for his leadership on this important issue.

It is with pride that I share in this historic victory in the Senate and hope that the House will pass similar legislation so that our Governor can sign this important piece of legislation into law. A statewide bill is not just a big win for the state of Rhode Island, but for our planet.

Since my first term on the City Council I worked with my colleagues in state and local government, ZeroWaste Providence, the Racial and Economic Social Justice Committee, and several community organizations to bring Providence’s Single-Use Plastic Check-Out Bag Reduction Act to fruition. It was passed unanimously twice by my Council colleagues and had its final passage, serendipitously, on Earth Day 2019. It was one of the proudest moments in my legislative career, and I could not have done it without their support.

Since then, I have worked to support a statewide bill banning single-use plastic bags.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Conservation Law Foundation and the other Rhode Island communities that came before us, they led the way and provided support and information that helped shape my legislation, and I stand with them urging the House to pass statewide legislation so that we can rid our towns, streets, and waterways of this very harmful contaminant. I urge the House to pick-up and pass the legislation that Senate President Ruggerio shepherded through the Senate.

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Center is overly burdened by these single-use plastic bags. In Providence, we spent nearly $1M on rejected recycling loads every year. It’s not just about our physical health that these contaminants do harm to, but also our fiscal health as a city and state.

Earth Day 2020 is not that far off, I could think of no better way to honor this day then the great state of Rhode Island having a Plastic Bag Ban.

Jo-Ann Ryan, Majority Leader
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 5